Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley recently released the Pistol Annies' sophomore album, Annie Up.  The album is made up of twelve tracks, each co-written by Miranda, Ashley and Angaleena.

Their debut album, Hell on Heels, received quite a bit of critical acclaim but was never embraced by radio.  While I love the fire and free spirit of these girls, I understand where mainstream radio struggles to find a place for their music.  Let's be honest, they hold nothing back in their music.

With all of that being said, I had high expectations for this album and I will take you through it, track by track.

Annie Up starts out with a very bluesy tune called I Feel a Sin Comin' On.  The title itself describes what the song is about quite nicely.  I really like this song because while there is no music in the beginning, it showcases the talent each of these girls has.

The second song is their current single, Hush Hush.  Basically, if it's going to embarrass the family, don't talk about it.  They recently released the video and it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The next song, Being Pretty Ain't Pretty, details what women go through to make themselves "presentable," but it reminds us that at the end of the day we wash it all away.  It's a slow tune, with a haunting melody that makes you rethink makeup, tans and fashion.

Unhappily Married is a song about a woman that's had enough of her husband and his laziness.  The couple hates just about everything about being married to one another but they're going to stay together forever unhappily married.

Loved by a Working Man has an almost hard rock beat to it.  The guy in this song doesn't clean, doesn't do laundry and won't write love letters.  He will do just about everything else and apparently treats his woman like a princess.  He sounds like every girl's dream guy.

Ashley Monroe sings the lead on Blues, You're a Buzzkill.  This is a very traditional country song that tackles the subject of depression.  There's absolutely nothing that will make the blues go away.  While this song has some very powerful lyrics, it is probably my least favorite on the album.

Don't Talk About Him, Tina is a song about a man who left a woman.  The woman's best friend steps in and says forget about him, don't even talk about him because the best thing he ever did was leave you.  It's a catchy tune and we all need a best friend to pull us out of those sad, depressing moments.

One of the saddest songs on Annie Up is Trading One Heartbreak for Another.  It touches on the subject of destructive relationships.  The woman in the song has a child who asks when they're going to see their dad again.  The song is very much traditional country and the woeful melody really makes that a true statement.

Dear Sobriety tackles the serious issue of alcoholism.  The lyric 'Dear sobriety, please come back to me,' pretty much sums it up.

Girls Like Us is yet another ballad and it is the weakest track on the album.  It lacks the spitfire each of these girls has and it just doesn't capture the essence that is the Pistol Annies.

I Hope You're the End of My Story is a nice love song.  Lyrically it's very good and it shows these girls have a softer side.

Overall, I think I like Hell on Heels better.  Don't get me wrong, Annie Up has some really good songs that truly show off the talent of each girl.  I like the fact they're mixing girl power with a traditional country sound.  However, Annie Up lacks the fun, fiery independence of their debut album.

 

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